can't live without you... [sequel]
by cHiBiHiTaRu
Summary: Chpt 4 is up! "...Dark figures chained at the wrists were half dragged and marching forward. There must of atleast been a million of them. How could she find Van?" and if she does... can she save him from the fate of death? will love conquer all? plz R/R!
1. Default Chapter

  
  
  
  
  
can't live without you. (sequel)  
  
author's note: alrite guys... revised version. all of you people that wasn't happy w/ the ending... well just scan a few paragraphs and read the last part! ^_^   
  
He looked at the beautiful girl that was slowly disappearing. The tears slowly slipped down his cheeks. "She's finally gone. Gone. Forever. Hitomi, why did you listen to me? just why did you leave me? Just how, just how, Hitomi?" Van asked in anguish, his voice echoing in the night. "How did I fall in love with you?"  
  
a few months later.  
  
It was in the middle of the night, when a soft drizzle of rain started falling. With a start, Hitomi woke up. She got up uneasily from her bed and walked to her window.  
Her emerald colored eyes scanned the stars in the sky and sighed.   
"Van, it's been a few months. I don't even know why I left, but I hope life is good for you, I hope everything's back to normal for you, Van." Hitomi sighed. "Who am I kidding?" She asked herself. "I love Van. I guess absence does make the heart fonder. I miss him so much, but he must of got on with his life." Suddenly, a black shadow flew past her room, it was a small raven, spreading it's wings and flying towards the crescent moon.   
  
Tears began forming in Hitomi's eyes. They fell like the raindrops outside. The raven's feathers reminded her of Van's black raven hair, and... and...  
Suddenly, a large feather appeared in the palm of Hitomi's hand.   
  
"Oh!" Hitomi gasped in surprise. It didn't belong to the raven. This happened so often when she thought about Van, a white, billowy angel feather would  
appear in her palm. But this feather, it was not white, but black, and parts of it was whithering away. The bottom of Hitomi's lip trembled. "Van.." She looked into the sky, afraid of what was happening in Gaea. "Van, you're dying!"  
  
At that very moment, a flash of light glowed all around Hitomi, and a pillar of light snatched her up.   
She appeared moments later in Gaea. The sight almost broke her heart. The once bright, joyful, beautiful world of Gaea was now, dark, and dull. People milled around as if life had no purpose. As if pain and suffering was their only objective. Hitomi stood there, staring in awe, when suddenly, a man bumped into her.   
  
"Watch where your going!" The man yelled angrilly. "Sorry," Hitomi apoligized profusely. "Do you know what's happening?"  
The man sighed, as if under a great burden.   
  
"The King of Fanelia is dying, because of a broken heart. All the best doctors on Gaea have been called to try to save the young king, but all have failed. You can't heal a shattered heart." Hitomi turned, tears starting in her eyes.   
  
"Van! Please! Don't die!" Then, Hitomi sprinted all the way back to Van's castle. Once she got in, she headed for Van's room. Outside were mourners, all crying. Hitomi could reconize some of them, Allen, Millerna, Merle. Merle looked at Hitomi and pointed an accusing finger at Hitomi.   
  
"You, you killed Lord Van!" Hitomi backed away, "I didn't! I love him!" When Hitomi pushed the doors to Van's room open, nobody seemed to mind. When she got in there, all she saw was Van, lying in a bed, swaddled by bed covers. "Van... what happened to you?" She whispered tears brimming in her eyes.   
  
-Van's POV-   
He lay there in the bed, every part of his body hurting, but what hurt most was his heart.  
Suddenly, he got a flashback, from when he first discovered that he was dying.  
-flashback-  
"Hitomi's gone. There's nothing left!" Van yelled in anguish knocking everything on his desk onto the floor. He could hear everything shattering into pieces, just like his memories with Hitomi. Sighing, he cried himself to sleep that night.  
  
the next morning, he woke up, his bones aching. His chest was hurting, it felt like his heart was breaking in half. Van flung open the windows and took a deep breath, determined not to cry. But his lower lip gave away, and the tears began flowing.   
  
"Hitomi, why did you leave me?" He asked tearfully. He pushed and sprouted his wings, the feathers drifting all around his room. Suddenly, he noticed his feathers were no longer pure white, they were turning grey. "What's going on?" Van asked shocked.  
Within the next few days, the more he thought about Hitomi, the blacker his wings got. Within a few months, his feathers were pitch black, as black as a raven's feathers. Van closed his eyes. "I'm dying. I'm dying of a broken heart."  
Van opened his eyes. "I'm dying for Hitomi."  
  
Every single beat his heart pounded, it brought him back thoughts about Hitomi. He kept getting flashbacks of that night, that fateful night, when Hitomi disappeared, in a flash of light. Then, he heard a gentle, frantic voice whispering his name. He turned his body around and gasped in joy. "Hi... Hitomi!"   
  
Hitomi ran to his bed and placed her hands on his face. "Van..." Hitomi cried her tears falling on his face.   
"Hitomi! You're, you're back! You're finally back! you're..." Van stopped with he was overwhemled with coughing.   
"Van..." Hitomi said kneeling down and taking his hands in hers. His hands were rapidly turning colder.   
"Hitomi.." Van said quietly in his last ounce of strength.   
  
"Hitomi, I still love you, and I always will, remember how I promised I would die for you? Well I..."  
Hitomi placed a shaking finger on his lips to stop his talking.   
  
"Van... I.." Tears fell from her cheek and stained his pillow.   
  
"I love you so much!" Hitomi leaned forward and kissed Van on the lips gently, holding him close to her. When she backed off, Van just looked at her with disbelief. Then he smiled gently and pulled her closer to him again.   
  
"Oh Hitomi! I have been waiting my whole life to hear you say this." Then, drops of tears shimmered in his dark eyes. "But I won't be around anymore Hitomi, Oh I wish..." Van strained to his dresser and opened it. He pulled out something in his hand then pulled Hitomi towards him. "Do you remember?" Van said holding out a beautiful silver ring. "That night, when I wanted to give you it.. you.."   
  
"I said I didn't love you." Hitomi finished his sentance, tears brimming in her eyes. Van slipped the ring on her finger and whispered. "Hitomi, will you be mine? Forever and ever until eternity?" Hitomi nodded and kissed Van again. It was passionate, yet gentle, soft yet full of love.   
Hitomi could feel as if Van's hand growing colder, as he slipped away from her. "Van... Please don't leave, don't go. Stay with me.. Please!" Hitomi begged running her fingers through his hair. Van's eyes began closing.   
  
"I'm sorry Hitomi, I love you, but i'm so tired, I'm so tired.." With that those violet tinted eyes closed as his whole body went cold, his face ashen. He didn't feel the girl he loved shaking him, and crying. He didn't hear her screaming his name. He couldn't taste that last kiss they had shared. He had fallen, into a deep sleep... one that there was doubt he would ever wake up from.   
  
"Van! snap out of it!" Hitomi screamed shaking his shoulders, her tears dripping on his shirt. "Please wake up... I can't live without you Van! I just can't..."  
She couldn't cry anymore... her tears had run dry.  
"Van I love you, I'll never give up.." she sobbed and lay her head on his chest and closed her swollen eyes.  
  
She didn't even notice when the pendant around her lover's neck began to shine, with brilliant light...  
  
  
a/n: BWAHAHAHAHAHHA!!! oohhh.. a deadly cliffhanger eh??? but I won't leave you there too long.. once I get an idea! I hope you all happy now! BWAHAHAHAHAH~!  
  
  
  



	2. Shoreline of death

  
shoreline of death  
  
disclaimer: I don't own escaflowne... tho i wish i did! REALLY i do. and i did a little copy right of the land of the dead thnx 2 Camille ^-~. thnx!  
  
"Van! snap out of it!" Hitomi screamed shaking his shoulders, her tears dripping on his shirt. "Please wake up... I can't live without you Van! I just can't..."  
She couldn't cry anymore... her tears had run dry.  
"Van I love you, I'll never give up.." she sobbed and lay her head on his chest and closed her swollen eyes  
  
She didn't even notice that the pendant around her lover's neck began to glow with brilliant light...  
  
When Hitomi opened her emerald eyes, she was no longer holding the limp body of her lover. She was no longer in Van's room.  
She stood at the shoreline of a gloomy river. There was no sky, just the ceiling of a cave veiled the river. Small rowboats made of rotting wood were carrying dark figures across the river.  
  
Hitomi blinked again clenching her hands together in fear. "Where am I?" Suddenly, a cold hand closed around Hitomi's shoulder.  
  
"AHHHHH!" Hitomi screamed whirling around. All she saw was a dark figure wearing a black robe shielding his face. "W-Who are y-you?" Hitomi stuttered taking a step back.  
  
"Who goes here?" The figure asked withdrawing his pale, boney hand.   
  
"I-I'm Hitomi Kanzaki. Where am I?"  
  
The figure reached into his pocket and took a large black book out. He flipped through the pages. "Hitomi Kanzaki." He snapped it shut, and put it back in his pocket.  
"You are not in this book. Have you not signed in?"  
  
Hitomi took more steps back. horrified. Terrifying moans could be heared at the shoreline. Suddenly, a realization came to her. she remembered what her grandmother had said.  
  
-flashback-  
  
"Gramma... what's death?" a little girl of 6 of 7 with with short sandy blond hair asked. In her hands, she held a pendant with a pink stone on the end.  
  
"When you die, you'll go to the shoreline of the river of death.   
The dead must sign in with the boat master, so your name will be inside the black book. You must take the boat across to reach the death gates. Dying is not a good thing my dear."   
  
The lady with the white hair tied back into a bun smiled patting the little girl's shoulder. "Then, the dead will walk together to their judgement... Then.. All is lost."  
  
-flashback end-  
  
Hitomi fell to her knees. "Where is Van?" She sprinted to the shoreline, just in time to see one of the rowboats drifting off. it was drifting off about 3 or 4 feet, 5, 6.   
  
Hitomi took a deep breath. "You can do this."  
She began sprinting to the edge of the water, then she took off with her right leg, flying through the air. Her body stretched and stretched.  
  
"Bam!" She landed on the edge of the rowboat, tipping forward and falling onto someone.   
  
The boy didn't even look at her. His eyes were fixated on what was before him. The torrent of the river carried the boat closer and closer to the death gates. His unkept brown bangs were wet, and covered with bits of soil. He was wearing a black and blue armor outfit.  
  
Hitomi thought the boy looked familiar. Suddenly, she reconized him. He was the Zaibach soilder that was captured by the Duke of Fraid, and interrogated, then killed by Zongi, the doppleganger.  
"Are you Migel of Zaibach?" The boy's head twisted sharply around showing a bloody gash on his forehead. He nodded slowly, his grey eyes piercing into hers sharply.   
  
  
end of chpt 2  
a/n: sorry guys. kinda short. kinda a scare for Hitomi. any how, please R/R.   
  



	3. gloom (as in darkness, not the pokemon y...

  
  
gloom   
  
"Are you Migel of Zaibach?" The boy's head twisted sharply around showing a bloody gash on his forehead. He nodded slowly, his grey eyes piercing into hers sharply.  
  
  
Hitomi was horrified by his wound, but leaned forward again and grabbed his shoulders. "Please tell me where Van is!"   
  
"I...Don't...Know..." Migel said slowly, his eyes turning back forward. The gash began bleeding, the blood falling in Hitomi's hands.   
  
Suddenly, the boat docked, and Migel rose slowly, and began walking towards the gate. Hitomi followed, looking around.   
  
The gates creaked open and slowly, Migel walked in. Hitomi wasn't sure if she wanted to go on. Suddenly, up ahead, she saw a boy with a bright red shirt, and raven hair. He seemed to be of a distance, but Hitomi reconized that back anywhere.  
  
It was Van.  
  
"Van!" Hitomi screamed sprinting forward, but was held back by a cold hand.   
  
It was Migel. he stared right into her eyes, not budging. "You aren't of the dead are you?"  
  
Hitomi's chin trembled as she shook her head no. The stench of rotton soil drifted into her nose.   
She tried to wrench her hand out of his grasp, but he was too strong.   
  
"If... you are... not. then leave... us in ...peace. You have.. tormented... Lord Dilandau... enough."  
  
Migel shoved Hitomi backward onto the ground, and he walked off into the gates.  
  
Hitomi was shaken. Suddenly, she saw the gates closing. And once those gates closed, she would never get the chance to save Van.  
  
She jumped up and sprinted with all her might towards those gates. It was too late. The gates closed inches from her hands with a clang. Through the gates, she saw hundreds of souls being chained together, then they began marching, like an army forward, with maddening slowness.  
  
"Van! Don't go!" Hitomi cried screaming through the barriers before her.  
  
The boy with the red shirt marched forward, but turned his head slowly to look at her. He had a sad look on his face. He turned back and began walking again.  
  
Hitomi shook the bars. "Van! Please!" tears formed in her eyes and fell to the ground. Suddenly, a flash of light appeared, and the gloom disappeared. She saw before her, a tall man, his face in shadow.   
he had a silvery grey hair, and a mechanical arm. He lifted his face and Hitomi gasped.  
  
"Folken?" She ran foward and lept in his arms. "Folken! Please! Help me save Van! He can't die!"   
  
Folken patted Hitomi's shoulder with affection. "Hitomi, he's already dead."  
  
"Folken-"   
  
"Hitomi, you have two choices." Just then, Hitomi noticed that behind Folken, there were two paths. And on each path, was a sign pointing down the path.  
  
"That one." Folken pointed down the one to his right.  
"Is back to life. Hitomi... I don't want you to die. you must leave this place now!"  
"That one.." Folken pointed to the other one. "Is to the shadow lands. is the path where the dead march to their judgement."  
  
Folken almost looked concerned. "Hitomi. Please don't go down there. I don't know what's there, because I've never been there myself. I'm sure Van wouldn't like you to put yourself through all the risk." Folken blinked. "You might not come back."  
  
Hitomi looked on in horror.   
Suddenly, a flash of Van's sad face game through her mind.   
"No folken. I must save Van." With that, Hitomi sprinted down the road to Folken's left. "Hitomi!" Folken called, but it was too late. Hitomi already disappeared down the road.   
  
end of chpt 3  
  
a/n: sorry.. kinda short. I haven't decided what she'll see yet. 


	4. the dead

  
  
the dead   
  
"No folken. I must save Van." With that, Hitomi sprinted down the road to Folken's left. "Hitomi!" Folken called, but it was too late. Hitomi already disappeared down the road.   
  
Hitomi ran and ran until the walls all around her began darkening. All she could see was gloom, and in the distance, she heard the faint clinking of chains.  
  
She wiped away a bead of sweat that was forming on her brow. Her bottom lip began trembling. "I'm so scared."  
She whispered.   
  
Suddenly, a vision of a raven haired boy turning around to look at her sadly flashed through her mind.  
  
Her lip trembled again. "Van..."  
She stood up and began running again. She finally reached the sound of the chains.   
Her emerald green eyes scanned the darkness.  
  
Dark figures chained at the wrists were half dragged and marching forward. There must of atleast been a million of them. How could she find Van?   
  
She began running longside the figures, trying desperately to find the one she loved.  
  
"Van!" she cried desperately. She couldn't see him.   
Suddenly, she was shoved backwards again. She stumbled and fell to her knees.   
  
Again, she felt those piercing grey eyes staring at her again. "I thought I told you to leave us alone. You couldn't even do that."   
The brown haired boy staggered as he was pulled again by the chains.  
  
"When... you get back.." Another boy spit with venom.  
"Leave Lord Dilandau... alone."  
The boy was yanked again, his blond hair spilling over his face.  
  
Hitomi stood up, brushing herself off. Her chin trembled again. She couldn't stand this anymore.   
  
She closed her eyes and envisioned him in her mind.  
The violet tinted eyes gazed sadly back into hers.  
"Van.. I'll never give up. Please Van! I love you..."  
  
Suddenly, a pale, pink, glowing light shone through all the darkness. All the dark figures were illuminated under the light. They raised their ashen faces to the light.   
  
The light shone from a pendant hung around somebody's neck. Hitomi squinted her eyes to look closer.   
  
It was Van.  
  
"Van!" The boy lifted his eyes to meet Hitomi's.  
  
Suddenly, a flash of light swallowed Hitomi and Van in it's grasp. The chains that held Van in it's grasp crumbled and both of them were sucked up and away from the dead.  
  
end of chpt 4   
  
a/n: oooh larlar! what's going to happen next? ahha, another deadly cliff hanger! please keep coming back.. and R/R!   
  



	5. a second chance

  
  
  
a second chance  
  
a/n: little warning. one or two cuss words in Van's anger.   
  
The light shone from a pendant hung around somebody's neck. Hitomi squinted her eyes to look closer.   
It was Van.  
"Van!" The boy lifted his eyes to meet Hitomi's.  
Suddenly, a flash of light swallowed Hitomi and Van in it's grasp. Both of them were sucked up and away from the dead.  
  
Hitomi rubbed her eyes and opened them. She was leaning in someone's arms. It was Van. His eyes were closed, and he had his arms around her. "Van..." She whispered sighing contently. She leaned closer to him and snuggled up to his chest. He tightened his arms around her. Suddenly, he let her go and stood up, backing away from Hitomi.   
  
"I... I.." He turned around crossing his arms. "I can't go back."   
  
Hitomi stood up and walked closer to Van, putting an hand on his shoulder. "Van, please, together we can go back. I love you so much Van."   
  
"It's not that easy Hitomi." Van said firmly turning around and looking Hitomi in the eyes.   
  
"What?" Hitomi said frantically hugging Van close to her. "What are you talking about Van?" Tears of joy sprang to her eyes. "I finally found you Van. We're finally together. Let's go back." She turned her face to look him in the eye. She leaned forward and kissed him softly, her lips pressing against his.   
  
Van returned the kiss, then he turned his head away, breaking the kiss. "I can't just go back like that."  
  
Suddenly, his voice turned on a hard edge. "What's the point anyway. You know, the only reason i'm here, dead, is because you told me you didn't love me."  
He sneered letting ebony hair fall into his eyes. "Yeah that's right."  
  
Hitomi's eyes widened, raising a hand to her mouth. "Van... I..."  
  
Van closed his eyes rubbing them tiredly, as if he was worn out. "Look, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to sound so... so cold I.. I just..."   
  
Hitomi forced a smile, but she couldn't shake off the feeling that something was wrong.   
"Van... I- "   
  
Van snapped his eyes open. "Now don't you say I love you again. You say it so much, I don't even know if you mean it half the time. I'm a big believer of fate. Yes I am."  
Van snarled, oblivious to Hitomi's alarm. "Yeah, fate. Now we can't be soulmates, meant for each other if you came back so late when I was about to die! Can we?"   
  
Hitomi's mouth fell open, but no words came out.  
  
Van whirled around, crossing his arms, spitting out his words. "Speechless? can't answer? I've had enough of this. You knew how I felt about you for all that time. You just had to come back when i'm dying. dead. gone. I really love you Hitomi. Just damn bad fucking timing!"   
His voice rose to intervals Hitomi had never seen before.  
  
"Van.." Hitomi whispered, a tear making it's way down her cheek.   
  
Van reached out a shaking hand and wiped away her tear. "Oh no, please don't cry." concern flashed in his eyes. "Hitomi, please don't cry. Not for me. Promise me. Don't ever cry for me." Hitomi shook her head, her shoulders shaking. More tears dripped down her cheeks and onto Van's trembling hand. Van pulled her into his embrace again, drying her tears on his shoulders. "Hush.. It's okay. I'm here."   
  
Hitomi whispered in his ear "Van, let's go back."  
She could feel him stiffen and take a step back.  
  
Van's eyes flashed with controted anger and pain. "Stop saying that. You know I can't go back. You don't love me, and you keep giving me false hope. There is no fucking point to go back! Nothing to live for even if I could."  
  
Before Hitomi could even say another word, Van turned around and said stubbornly. "Just forget everything. You know, Hitomi, I'm not ever going back. There's no point in living when I can't have you."   
  
With that, Van left a speechless Hitomi standing there. He began walking away at a fast pace.   
"Van! Wait! Where are you going?"   
  
Van didn't answer still walking away. Hitomi ran after him, stopping him by grabbing his shoulders.   
"Don't go! Please Van. Just come back with me. Don't you understand? This feeling I have for you. It's so strong Van! I care so much about you! You don't belong here Van! The only reason that I'm here, talking to you is because..." Hitomi took a deep breath, glad that Van was listening to her hesitantly. "It's because we were given a second chance!"   
  
Van turned slightly, half of his face still in shadow. "What are you saying?" He whispered under his breath.   
  
"Van, I saw Folken. and I-"  
  
Van whirled around completely and grabbed her shoulders. "You saw my brother? Where is he? Is he hurt? Did he march away with the dead? It's he alright?"   
  
The questions sped past Hitomi's mind. "I- I..."  
  
Hitomi stuttered, her green emerald eyes widening.   
"He told me to go back to the living. He told me that I had two choices. Van!" Hitomi said with sudden courage.   
  
"No matter what Folken said, I chose the path to come and save you Van. Because I truely care for you and love you and that will never ever change."   
Hitomi said gazing into Van's eyes.   
  
end of chpt 5   
  
  



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